Metal side-plate for a radiator

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a metal side-plate ( 12 ) for a radiator, particularly a tubular radiator, such as those used in motor vehicles with combustion engines. The aim of the invention is to provide a meal side-plate ( 12 ) which is embodied in such a way that stresses arising from various types of thermal expansion of the metal side-plate ( 12 ) and tubular radiator ( 10 ) can be prevented. The metal side-plates ( 12 ) are characterized in that they have a weakened area ( 13 ) in which the material of the metal side-plate is weakened in order to compensate heat expansion according to that of the cooling body.

The present invention relates to a metal side-plate for radiators, inparticular for tubular radiators such as those which find an applicationin vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Radiators of this kind exhibit a radiator body, in which tubes extend inthe longitudinal direction, in conjunction with which heat exchangersurfaces are embodied between the tubes. What is more, the radiator isenclosed by at least one pair of metal side-plates situated to eitherside of the radiator body. The metal side-plates in this case extendalong or across the direction in which the tubes of the tubular radiatorextend. They delimit in particular the heat exchanger surfaces, areutilized for the purposes of assembly, for example, and also prevent theingress of undesired contamination into the area between the heatexchanger surfaces and in so doing prevent impairment of the heatexchange performance of the heat exchanger.

The length of the tubes and the heat exchanger surfaces changes in thepresence of fluctuations in the operating temperature of the tubularradiator, so that a loading due to thermal stress can make its effectfelt on the metal side-plate.

The object of the invention is to make available a metal side-plate thatis executed in such a way that stresses arising from various kinds ofthermal expansion of the metal side-plate and tubular radiator areprevented. This object is achieved by a metal side-plate in accordancewith the independent claim.

A metal side-plate of this kind, which can find an application inparticular for tubular radiators, is intended to be used in radiatorbodies in which tubes extend in the longitudinal direction and in whichheat exchanger surfaces are arranged between the tubes, in conjunctionwith which the metal side-plates are intended to close off the radiatoron at least one pair of opposing sides. What is more, the metalside-plates are characterized in that they exhibit a weakened area, inconjunction with which the material of the metal side-plate in this areais weakened in such a way as to allow compensation for the thermalexpansion corresponding to that of the radiator body.

This weakening of the material enables the thermal expansion of themetal side-plate to be adapted to that of the radiator body and therebypermits the permanent retention of the metal side-plate on both sides ofthe radiator body. The occurrence of stresses, both in the metalside-plate and in the radiator body, due to different thermal expansionis avoided at the same time.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the weakening of aweakened area is effected by penetrations in the material of the metalside-plate. It is particularly advantageous if the penetrations areembodied in such a way that a network of webs is formed. The adoption ofthis measure ensures that high mechanical flexibility of the lateralpart is achieved, which is able to compensate for thermal expansiondeviating from the thermal expansion of the radiator body. It isespecially favorable if the penetrations are executed in such a way thatthe network of webs forms lozenges standing on their tips in thelongitudinal extent of the metal side-plate, that is to say in thelongitudinal direction. In this way, the webs which delimit thepenetrations in each case run with a directional component in thelongitudinal direction of the metal side-plate, in which the differentthermal expansion produces its effect, and also at all times in adirectional component transversely thereto, so that a certain rigidityand dimensional stability of the metal side-plate nevertheless continueto be assured. An alternative embodiment is provided if the network ofwebs delimits honeycomb-shaped penetrations. What is more, thehoneycomb-shaped penetrations can be formed both by penetrations havinga hexagonal form and by penetrations having an octagonal form.Hexagonal, honeycomb-shaped penetrations have the advantage that theyare able to form a closed surface, whereas in the case of octagonalhoneycombs, lozenge-shaped intermediate surfaces occur repeatedly, withthe result that a uniform, transcurrent pattern is not produced. What ismore, octagonal honeycombs repeatedly form areas of material running inthe longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction of the metalside-plate, whereas hexagonal honeycombs only exhibit areas of materialrunning either in the longitudinal direction or in the transversedirection of the metal side-plate. It is accordingly possible in thiscase for a different longitudinal rigidity to result in relation to thetransverse rigidity of the metal side-plate.

According to embodiments of the invention, a weakened area is producedin the form of a plurality of rows of penetrations, in conjunction withwhich the rows of penetrations are preferably arranged off-set inrelation to one another, and the number of rows can be selected in sucha way that, when viewed in the direction in which the metal side-plateextends, the length of the penetrations added together at each pointtransversely to the direction of its extent amounts to at least 1.5times, and preferably at least two to three times, the maximum length ofa penetration in the direction of its extent. The adoption of thismeasure ensures that a certain length of material is free over theentire width of the metal side-plate when viewed in the longitudinaldirection, so that a specific, defined minimum weakening of thelongitudinal rigidity of the insert plate is achieved over its entirewidth.

According to a preferred embodiment of the insert plate, this is bent inits cross section, at least in the area of weakening, and is preferablyof a u-shaped embodiment. Such a design of the cross section, includingin the area of weakening, increases the connecting rigidity of theinsert plate and guarantees dimensional stability.

Moreover, the invention is explained in greater detail below withreference to the illustrative embodiment depicted in the drawing. In thedrawing:

FIG. 1 depicts a radiator that is delimited on its mutually opposingsides by an insert plate in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts an insert plate in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 depicts an insert plate in accordance with the invention with aweakened area as an enlarged representation.

FIG. 1 depicts a radiator 10, in which tubes extending in thelongitudinal direction of the radiator are surrounded by heat exchangersurfaces 11. Two mutually opposing sides of the radiator are delimitedby metal side-plates 12, which are securely retained to other componentsconnected to the radiator and are also aligned in the longitudinaldirection. What is more, each of the metal side-plates 12 exhibits twoweakened areas 13, each of which, in particular in the final one third,and preferably in the final one quarter of the metal side-plate, areexecuted all the way to the edge.

FIG. 2 depicts an oblique representation of such a metal side-plate 12having two weakened areas 13, in conjunction with which each of theweakened areas 13 is formed by penetrations 14 in the material of themetal side-plate.

FIG. 3 depicts an enlarged representation of such a weakened area 13. Itcan be appreciated in this case that the penetrations are executedadjacent to one another in such a way that a network of webs 15 isproduced between them. In the embodiment represented here, the webs 15are executed in such a way that they delimit lozenge-shaped penetrationsin each case. What is more, the penetrations 14 are arranged in aplurality of rows 16. Four rows of penetrations 14, which form theweakened area 13, are executed one after the other in the illustrativeembodiment represented here. What is more, the rows are offset inrelation to one another in such a way that a material-free section isproduced over the entire width of the metal side-plate 12, the overalllength of which is greater than twice the maximum length of apenetration in the direction in which it extends. The use of alozenge-shaped form for the penetrations ensures that a compact,contiguous arrangement of the penetrations can be achieved over theentire surface. A constant width of the webs 15 between two penetrationsis maintained throughout, so that the rigidity of the metal side-plateis capable of being determined accurately in the area of thepenetration.

As can also be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3, the metal side-plate 12is of u-shaped execution in its cross section, in conjunction with whichthe cross-sectional form is also maintained in the weakened area 13. Itis ensured by this means that a corresponding weakening of the materialis also provided in this peripheral area and, at the same time, that abasic measure of torsional rigidity and dimensional stability of themetal side-plate is also assured in the weakened area 13.

1. A metal side-plate for radiators, in particular tubular radiators, inwhich the radiator body exhibits tubes and heat exchanger surfacesextending between the tubes, in which the radiator is enclosed by atleast one metal side-plate arranged laterally on the radiator or atleast one pair of metal side-plates arranged on either side of theradiator, wherein at least one metal side-plate exhibits at least oneweakened area, in which the material of the metal side-plate is weakenedin such a way as to allow compensation for the thermal expansioncorresponding to that of the radiator body.
 2. The metal side-plate asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the weakening of a weakened area is effectedby perforations in the material of the metal side-plate.
 3. The metalside-plate as claimed in claim 2, wherein the penetrations are embodiedin such a way that a network of webs is formed.
 4. The metal side-plateas claimed in claim 3, wherein the network of webs delimits lozengesstanding on their tips as penetrations in the longitudinal extent of themetal side-plate.
 5. The metal side-plate as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe network of webs delimits honeycomb-shaped penetrations.
 6. The metalside-plate as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of rows ofpenetrations is provided, in conjunction with which the rows ofpenetrations are preferably arranged off-set in relation to one another,and the number of rows is preferably selected in such a way that, viewedin the direction in which the insert plate extends, the length of thepenetrations added together at each point transversely to the directionof their extent amounts to at least 1.5 times, and preferably at leasttwo to three times, the maximum length of a penetration in the directionof its extent.
 7. The metal side-plate as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe insert plate is bent, at least in the area of weakening, and ispreferably of a u-shaped execution.
 8. A heat exchanger having at leastone metal side-plate as claimed in claim 1.